St. Augustine mayor questions details of mobility work
In other business
Posted: June 13, 2016 - 10:59pm | Updated: June 13, 2016 - 11:01pm
By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Shaver raised a series of questions Monday night about work on the mobility plan that kicked off last week.
The questions came during a mobility update by Martha Graham, the city’s public works director. Graham gave the presentation instead of officials with Littlejohn Engineering Associates, the consultant hired by the city to craft the mobility plan.
Graham said they were unable to attend because of an “unexpected issue.”
The city hired Littlejohn to prepare the city’s mobility plan for more than $108,000 for just the first phase.
Officials wrapped up a three-day series of meetings and other work in the city on Friday. The week included an open house on Thursday.
Shaver raised questions about the work done so far on the mobility plan, as well as the Mobility Advisory Task Force, a collection of residents and officials assembled by City Manager John Regan to help with the mobility plan.
“I’m giving you this feedback for one reason. I want this to succeed,” Shaver said. “And it needs to be a data-driven initiative that is transparent, and if you are modifying the scope or modifying the contract that needs to be done in the sunshine and everybody needs to be able to see it.”
According to the contract, the public open house held on Thursday was to include a presentation of “initial data collection findings focusing [on] validating these findings as they are discussed with the community.”
“I spent several hours at the workshop,” Shaver said. “ ... there was no data presented other than a historical overview of what the city had looked like over time.”
Commissioner Todd Neville said later that it seemed clear the consultant was still collecting data.
Shaver cited another portion of the contract that calls for a “design charrette” to be included in the three-day workshop, but she did not see that in the plans.
Shaver said has already given feedback to George Kramer, director of planning for Littlejohn Engineering Associates.
Shaver added, ”My key question is where are we on this project? Where is a project plan? What ... hours have been burned? What tasks have been complete[d]? And how are we going to move forward in a way that this is transparent to everyone in this city who is paying for this?”
Other commissioners seemed surprised initially by the discussion, questioning whether a contract review was appropriate when the agenda called for a “mobility update.”
Shaver said she wasn’t calling for anything that needed “heavy lifting,” and “the fundamental point is that we need to be on top of all of this.”
The first phase of the contract is expected to last until September, when the consultant says it will produce a framework for the plan. The second phase, which the city will have to sign a contract and pay separately for, will produce the actual plan.
As for the task force, Shaver said the role and responsibilities of the task force members aren’t clear, and neither is how citizens can contact the group.
“When people ask me what they’re doing, I don’t have an answer, and that is not the kind of work that is good for us to accept as a city. It’s not something that we should do, so I think that that guidance is critical.”
The public has expressed concern about potential conflicts of interest on the task force and lack of participation from parts of the city.
She added that “anything that appears to be a conflict is something that isn’t good for anyone,” and that having some justification on how it was put together is important.
She also said there’s a gap in reaching out to neighborhood associations for the mobility project.
Commissioner Leanna Freeman was not at the meeting.
In other business
■ Commissioners told Shaver, either directly or in agreement with other commissioners, that she should be careful not to speak for them in certain matters that they haven’t discussed collectively.
The issue surrounded funding of the Sunshine Bus, which is run by the St. Johns County Council on Aging, and letters from St. Johns County commissioners to St. Augustine commissioners asking them to about pitching in on funding for the bus.
Neville brought up the request in his comments.
Shaver said she, with the help of Regan, hashed out a response to County Commission Chair Jeb Smith that basically said that while it’s something officials can keep discussing, the city’s in the middle of making a mobility plan so the city’s not ready to discuss details.
Neville questioned whether the commission should discuss budget items together before giving a response.
“Please be careful of committing the whole commission,” Neville said.
Tim Burchfield, assistant city manager, said there is a line-item for funding the Sunshine Bus that’s expected to be discussed.
Shaver said she’s entitled to respond to letters she receives and isn’t speaking for the whole commission.
Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline said, “I believe that you’re one of five votes.” She said she appreciates Shaver’s work, but asked that Shaver consult with the entire commission about things like that in the future.
“I appreciate you asking,” Shaver said.
“Expecting,” Sikes-Kline said.
“I concur with that as well,” said Vice Mayor Roxanne Horvath.
“I appreciate the feedback,” Shaver said.
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